Motorcycling is about the machine, the ride, the people, the culture, and the experiences along the way. As an avid motorcyclist himself, Gary Knudsen, a Felling Trailers Trailer Consultant, was more than obliged to attend an annual 2-day motorcycle run that a Felling Trailers dealer holds each year.
This motorcycle run brings together many people from different sectors of the equipment world, from heavy construction, road building, scrap iron salvage, forestry, and mining to name a few. Even though the attendees come from various fields, they share the common love of cycling. The hope for events like this is to of course enjoy the open road, but also to build working relationships by adding to their familiarity and trust.
That had been the case when Gary called on a Regional Manager at a road building company (a Felling Trailers dealer) a few years before attending his first motorcycle run. “I called on one of the regional managers for a couple of years before he called and asked to stop in at Felling Trailers one day in early spring. At that time, the company’s (dealer’s) need was for trailers that could transport their skid steers. Felling Trailers met that need with its FT-14 I (14,000 lb cap.) drop deck trailer.
By chance later that year in July, both Gary and the Regional Manager mentioned earlier attended the 2-day motorcycle run. Over the two days, the group covered approximately 500 miles including to and from the event, and during that time, the two men got to know each other better and formed a comradery. Later that summer, the Regional Manager contacted Gary for assistance in ordering a semi-trailer to transport paving machines. Pavers are infamous for being difficult to load due to the low-ground clearance of the machines. The two worked together along with Felling Trailers’ Engineering department to design the end product: a FT-100-3 MX-L (100,000 lb cap. distributed, 65,000 lbs. in 10’, 59,500 lbs. in 4’) semi-trailer that was equipped with an 8º full width hydraulic bi-fold ramp and hydraulic upper deck ramp systems.
The next winter the Regional Manager contacted Gary stating the trailer was working great and placed an order for a second unit similar to the first one. The bi-fold ramp provided the ideal degree of incline for the variety of low-clearance equipment that the company transported regularly. The feature of the front hydraulic ramp (8’ in length) further diversified the trailer to be capable of loading rollers, skid steers or other equipment on the upper deck of the semi-trailer. The FT-100-3 MX-L worked so efficiently for the Regional Manager, he referred another Regional Manager within his company to contact Gary to order two of his own FT-100-3 MX-L’s.
Over the course of three (3) years, the mentioned company/dealer has purchased multiple units, and each year Gary and the Regional Manager travel together to take part in the 2-day motorcycle run, creating many more road tales.
Felling Trailers is a family owned and operated Full Line Trailer Manufacturer located in Central Minnesota. Started in 1974 by Mr. Merle J. Felling, Felling Trailers, Inc. has grown from a small shop to a factory and office complex that today covers over 250,000 square feet. Felling Trailers currently manufactures over 4,000 trailers a year ranging from a 3,000 lb utility trailer to a 120,000 lb hydraulic gooseneck trailer, and its standard trailer line includes over 220 models.
Felling Trailers’ pride and differentiation is its customized trailer division. Its engineers utilize the latest industry leading design techniques, and its experienced metal craftsmen use cutting edge technology to turn its customers’ conceptual trailer needs into a tangible product. Felling Trailers continually researches and implements new technologies to reduce lead-time and increase production in the manufacturing plant. Felling Trailers provides a high quality product that is distributed across North America and internationally. For more information, contact 1.800.245.2809, [email protected] or visit them on the web at www.felling.com. You can also follow them on Twitter (@FellingTrailers), Facebook (Felling Trailers, Inc.), Instagram, and Pinterest.
Very nice write-up. It is correctly said in the above post the motorcycling is all about the machine, the ride, the people, the culture and most importantly the experiences. During these events like motorcycle runs many people come together from different fields just because of the common love for motorcycles. I love visiting such events on motorcycle run, so that I an see lots of new motorcycles. A friend of mine also has a huge interest in motorcycles. He is so much in love with motorcycles that he always manages to stop and look at the motorcycles if any motorcycle hauling trailers come across his way.